V/A – Zevolution: ZE Records Re-Edited

With the 30th Anniversary tribute album reminding us how good ZE Records was, this Re-edit package show us how good the label (and the music) still is – Strut do it again.

If you’ve not got ZE 30 : ZE Records 1979-2009 (that’s as good a collect of the New Yorkdisco/electro/no wave/post punk label launched by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban in 1978) you’ll want it after this ‘tribute’ CD that features all the main members of the ZE family including James White, Bill Laswell (as Material), Suicide, Was (Not Was), August Darnell/Kid Creole & The Coconuts (as you’d expect).
The mighty Greg Wilson is here (well the guy is absolutely everywhere, but never better than at the Big Chill on the Rizzla stage) and he gets the plum choice of Was (Not Was)’s ‘Tell Me That I’m Dreaming’.
And if your into James White/Black, any twist on hid back catologue is a welcome addition to the collection and Richard Sen (he of Padded Cell and last seen on FLY with Word Of Mouth) does the business. Pilooski is perhaps the hottest name on the re-edit front at the moment (well he’s very popular at least) and whilst a cover of ‘I’m An Indian Too’ doesn’t sound promising, he pulls it off big time.
And whilst on the commercial tip, Kid Creole & The Coconuts (can’t wait for the Inspirations set teaming up with Hercules & Love Machine), the band rightly get to open and close the CD. ‘Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy’ will now always be associted with the Peter Kay advert (but Soul Mekanik has provided us with the definite version here) and the album kicks off with those Idjut Boys (of Dimitri From Paris presents Night Dubbing A Dubbed Out Collection Of Classic 80s Dance Music Mixed By The Idjut Boys) improving the lesser known ‘I’m Corrupt’.
And talking of big names on the re-edit, King of nu-disco Todd Terje gets funky with ‘On A Day Like Today’ and Rub ‘n’ Tub (last seen on FLY with Roxy Music) can’t go wrong with Nona Hendryx as she’s ‘Bustin’ Out’.
But electro heads will want to get down with the Fat Camp’s workout of David Gamson’s ‘No Turn On Red’.
Great cover artwork and sleeve notes by Bill Brewster, the man to go to for DJ History whether it’s a book (as in Old Rare New – The Independent Record Shop) or the Faith fanzine (noting, Leo Elstob aka Leo Zero is also on the tracklisting sorting out Les Gar?ßons).
And our new Horse Meat Disco/old Afro Art favourite Luke Howard and HMD’s Felix Dickinson really do create the best club version of Aural Exciters’ ‘Spooks In Space’.
Around this time of year, you’ll see me digging out ZE’s A Christmas Record (Special 1982 Edition) that features some of the artists on this new CD but I’m going to give it a miss for a bit as this is so good (the Pilooski edit has a bit of Christmas feel to it anyway!) and I really hope there’s a typo in the title; surely ‘Vol 1′ seems to be missing as Vol. 2 must be on the cards.
An absolutely fantastic album – remember Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy.
Reviewed: Various – Zevolution – ZE Records Re-Edited (Strut) Cat. No. STRUT049CD Release date: 30th November 2009
Tracklisting:
1. Kid Creole & The Coconuts – I’m Corrupt (Idjut Boys Edit) (6:26)
2. Gichy Dan’s Beachwood No. 9 – Cowboys & Gangsters (Social Disco Club Edit) (7:20)
3. Gichy Dan’s Beachwood No. 9 – On A Day Like Today (Todd Terje ‘Friendly Children’ Edit) (5:01)
4. David Gamson – No Turn On Red (Fat Camp Version) (5:50)
5. Material feat. Nona Hendryx – Bustin’ Out (Rub ‘n’ Tug Edit) (8:54)
6. Aural Exciters – Spooks In Space (Luke Howard & Felix Dickinson Filthy & Foolish Edit) (7:39)
7. Was (Not Was) – Tell Me That I’m Dreaming (Greg Wilson ZE-Edit) (6:36)
8. James White & The Blacks – Almost Black (Richard Sen’s Padded Cell Edit) (5:30)
9. Les Gar?ßons – Encore l’Amore (Leo Zero Edit) (5:58)
10. Don Armando’s 2nd Ave Rhumba Band – I’m An Indian Too (Pilooski Remix) (8:19)
11. Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy (Soul Mekanik ‘Bounty Girls’ Edit) (5:49)
Links:ZERecords.commyspace.com/zerecordswww.myspace.com/wasnotwasfreakswww.myspace.com/originalsavannahbandwww.faithfanzine.com “FAITH was started in 1999 with pals Stuart Patterson, Dave Jarvis and Leo Elstob and Bill Brewster”.www.strut-records.com
Friday 27.11.09 at La Cheetah, Fun Size with Teamy and David Barbarossa playing anything from HI-NRG to classic disco to 50s upbeat rock n roll (see the recent Skinny articleHERE
Friday 27/11/09 – FRIARS Aylesbury Christmas Party presents Kid Creole & the Coconuts and China Crisis at Aylesbury Civic Centre, Market Square Bucks, HP20 1UF Tickets are ¬£20 available from www.wegottickets.com/event/62742 Friars membership is 25p payable at door on the night. doors: 7.00pm China Crisis on stage 8.00pm. Kid Creole 9.30pm – “The Friars Aylesbury Christmas Party is back after a short break of 25 years with a very rare appearance in the UK of the Kid Creole & The Coconuts big band. Kid Creole played Friars twice in 1982 and some people still say that they were the best Friars gigs ever. Add to that one of the most iconic bands of the eighties China Crisis and this gig becomes unmissable.” aylesburyfriars.co.uk